Disposable bib

ABSTRACT

A disposable bib, providing both some liquid-absorbtion and water-proofness, having formed means for snugly pressing the wearer&#39;&#39;s neck, for more protection.

United States Patent Crisman et a1.

[15] 3,654,629 [45] Apr. 11, 1972 2,580,388 1/1952 Allen ..2/49 R 3,416,157 12/1968 Marder et a1 ..2/49 R FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 855,106 2/1940 France ..2/50

Primary Examiner-Alfred R. Guest Attorney-Robert A. Spray [5 7] ABSTRACT A disposable bib, providing both some liquid-absorbtion and water-proofness, having formed means for snugly pressing the wearers neck, for more protection.

4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAPR 11 I972 3,654,629

FIG. 3 I4 FIG. 2

W 14 FIG. 4

\ MARILOU CRISMAN and ARTHUR G- HOWARD,

INVENTORS A T TORNE Y DISPOSABLE am The present invention provides a disposable bib of novel construction and concepts. That is, a disposable bib is provided from a sheet of material having a cut-out portion, permitting the bib to be pulled over the users head, and with portions of the bib on both sides of the cut-out being formed with crimped or pleated foldings which cause portions of the bib adjacent the head-opening to tend to press toward that opening when the bib is applied onto the user, thus tending to assure a snug fit of the bib against the users neck.

The bib is formed of a two-ply construction, having an absorbent upper layer and a water-proof lower layer.

The concepts of the invention thus provide a bib which is of economical construction, so as to be a disposable item, yet which provides extra snugness for the desired covering or over-lying of the user's clothing so that it accomplishes its desired results.

Although bibs are probably used usually by children, and the bib according to the present invention is quite particularly desirable for children, the bib is of a type which could be readily worn by adults as well. For example, in certain type of eating establishments, it may be desirable to provide a bib for an adult customer; and this bib can be quite useful for adults.

Of particular advantage are the plurality of pleats or folds which the bib possesses; for they provide not only a desired snugness of fit of the bib around the users neck, but also will tend to catch certain type of food substances which might fall thereupon, and minimize and retard the tendency of the food substances or beverages to slide or roll on downwardly off the bib.

As a disposable or throw-away item of economical construction, the bib may be utilized in certain commercial eating establishments as a souvenier item, carrying, if desired, whatever advertising text or trademark which the eating establishment choses. The bib also may have desired utilization as an advertising novelty, either for the eating establishment in which the bib is to be used, or just as a good-will gift or premium for the advertising of other goods or services, as may be desired.

Moreover, although it is presumed that a significant utilization of these bibs will be made with respect to protection of clothing during the activity of eating or drinking, it is also possible that bibs of this kind may be utilized during other operations, such as that of hair or face grooming, personally by an individual, or commercially as in barber shops, beauty shops, or other establishments.

The above description of the bib and the inventive concepts is quite introductory and general; and these concepts and other details and features of the invention will be further apparent in the following description of an illustrative embodiment, taken in conjunction with the accompanying somewhat diagrammatic and schematic drawings, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a pictorial illustration of a child wearing a bib which is produced according to the inventive concepts; and

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the bib;

FIG. 3 is a side edge view of the bib shown in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a greatly enlarged detail view of a fragmental portion of a side edge of the bib, particularly illustrating the twoply construction.

As shown in the drawings, a bib is provided from a generally rectangular sheet of two-ply sheeting. The upper ply 12 is formed of absorbent material, desirably a paper or a paper-like product; and the bottom ply 14 is provided of a water-proof material, such as some form of plastic film.

A transverse slit or cut-out opening 16 is shown as provided laterally of the bib sheet, and is shown located relatively nearer one end of the sheet than the other. The location of the cut-out opening 16 is thus that it provides a relatively short (rear) portion 18 of the sheet at one side of the opening 16, and a relatively longer (front) portion 20 of the sheet at the other side of the opening 16.

The arrangement is such that as the bib 10 is pulled downwardly over the head of the user, the flexibility of the bib 10 permits the slit or cut-out opening 16 to spread to accomodate the movement of the bib over the head of the user; and the relatively longer bib-portion 20 is at the front, covering the user's breasts, and the relatively shorter portion 18 of the bib is behind the users neck.

(If desired, the bib 10 may be applied onto a wearer by pulling it over the wearer's head in an orientation in which the bib 10 is turned ninety degrees or so, then rotated that amount to the position illustrated in FIG. 1.)

A plurality of crimps or pleating folds 22 are pressed into the bib 10, and as shown the region of the pleating 22 extends on both sides of the cut-out opening 16. The axis of the pleating 22 is parallel to the axis of the cut-out opening 16, that is, the axis of the pleating 22 is in a side-to-side direction when the bib 10 is positioned onto the user, the axis being generally transverse or laterally-extending with respect to the length of the bib 10 shown.

The crimping or pleating 22 is desirably provided into the bib 10 by an operation which includes both heat and pressure, as by some sort of a die-rolling or the like which is accompanied by the application of heat; and this helps to bond the two-plies 12 and 14 of the sheeting in a permanent bond suitable for the present purpose. The pleats 22 are desirably resilient, that is, they are not fixed by any means or mechanism which would prevent their resilience or springiness.

The resilience of the pleating 22 particularly co-operates with the width of the head-slit 16 being significantly less than the diameter of the wearers neck, tending to cause the opposite walls 24-26 or edges of the cut-out opening 16 to tend to push together when the bib 10 is in its position (FIG. 1) in which those opening-edges 24-26 are held open by the users neck. Accordingly, those opening-edges 24-26 will snugly, or relatively softly, push toward the users neck, and thus provide more close covering or protection of the user. The pleating 22 also tends to urge the edges 24-26 to follow the wearer's neck contour, in contrast to the leaving of a gap at the side of the wearers neck.

It is thus seen that a disposable bib according to the present invention provides a bib which is economical in construction, yet which is easy and convenient in its utilization. A single size of bib, with a single size of cut-out opening or slit, will provide a desired bib covering for a wide range of sizes of users of such a bib; and the bib will give desired snugness around the wearers neck even throughout a wide range of neck sizes.

Thus, the present invention accomplishes its intended objects, including those hereinbefore pointed out and others which are inherent in the invention.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be considered limited to the specific form or arrangement herein described and shown.

What is claimed is:

1. A bib formed as a rectangular panel of laminate character with a plurality of closely spaced width-wise pleat-like folds over a major portion of the length, and a transversely extending slot in the area of the folds for accommodating the head and neck of the user. I

2. The invention as set forth in claim 1 in a combination in which the said bib is formed of sheeting having at least two plies, the upper one of which is of absorbent material and the lower one of which is of operatively water-proof material.

3. The invention as set forth in claim 1 in a combination in which the bib is formed with a relatively upper ply of relatively absorbent material and a relatively lower ply of .operatively waterfproof material, the operation of applying the said pleating-type folds being such as to operatively bond together the said two plies of said bib.

4. A disposable bib, comprising:

a bib sheet;

said bib sheet being provided with a transverse slot, the portion of the sheet on one side of the slot providing a covering for the breast of the wearer and the portion of the sheet on the other side of the slot passing behind the wearer's neck, when the bib is applied onto a user by lowering the bib over the users head and with the users head extending through the said slot;

the said bib sheet being of laminate character with a plurality of closely spaced pleat-like folds over a substantial portion of the sheet on both sides of said slot and extending 

1. A bib formed as a rectangular panel of laminate character with a plurality of closely spaced width-wise pleat-like folds over a major portion of the length, and a transversely extending slot in the area of the folds for accommodating the head and neck of the user.
 2. The invention as set forth in claim 1 in a combination in which the said bib is formed of sheeting having at least two plies, the upper one of which is of absorbent material and the lower one of which is of operatively water-proof material.
 3. The invention as set forth in claim 1 in a combination in which the bib is formed with a relatively upper ply of relatively absorbent material and a relatively lower ply of operatively water-proof material, the operation of applying the said pleating-type folds being such as to operatively bond together the said two plies of said bib.
 4. A disposable bib, comprising: a bib sheet; said bib sheet being provided with a transverse slot, the portion of the sheet on one side of the slot providing a covering for the breast of the wearer and the portion of the sheet on the other side of the slot passing behind the wearer''s neck, when the bib is applied onto a user by lowering the bib over the user''s head and with the user''s head extending through the said slot; the said bib sheet being of laminate character with a plurality of closely spaced pleat-like folds over a substantial portion of the sheet on both sides of said slot and extending generally parallel to said slot and extending past both ends of the slot, the said folds providing that when the bib sheet is applied as aforesaid over the user''s head the bib sheet portions on the opposite sides of the slot will resiliently snugly push toward the user''s neck and thereby provide a desired closeness of covering or protection adjacent the user''s neck. 